Swingletree connection.



,C, A. BIRD. SWINGLETREE CONNECTION. APPLICATION FILED APR. I3, um.

$1,243,581 Q, Ratented Oct. 16, 1917.

'l lltl l l l lNVENTOR WITNESSES I ear cr m OLABEHCE,A. BIRD, OF WEST EANSFIEQD, OHIO.

SWINGLETEEE CONNECTION.-

2'0 (266 whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Cmnnncn A. Brno,

a citizen of the'United States, residing at.

West Mansfield, in the county of Logan and State of Ohio," have invented new and useful Improvements in Swingletree Connections, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Swingletrees are generally loosely mounted upon the doubletree or, other support, and are consequently susceptible of aswingmg or swaying motion, especially when the animal is; traveling down grade. In addition to constantly swinging against the hind legs of the animal with a detrimental effect, the loose mounting of the swingle trees isVeryob'jectiOnable in that their disposition beneath the doubletree or other suparm and socket associated.

"port, renders the hitching or unhitching of the animal to or from said trees difficult and inconvenient.

It is therefore the chief characteristic of this invention, to provide a means whereby a swingletree can be maintained in a position above the doubletree or other support, and yet afiorded relative movement with respect thereto to compensate for change in the direction of draft, and in which po sition of the swingletree the objection of the swinging of such elements is eliminated.

The invention has numerous other ob jects in view, which will appear as the following detail description of the invention is taken into consideration in connection with the accompanying drawing, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawing forming 'part of this specification like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

' Fig. 2 is a similar view of one of the socket members.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the yieldable arm;

Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail view of the Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the doubletree showing the manner of attaching the socket.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in detail A indicates the doubletree which is swingingly mounted upon the pole B in any suitahlemanner, while projecting Specification of Letters Patent. fatentqgd 843$ jlfi, 1917, Application filed April 13, 1917. Serial No. 181,818.

forwardly from the doubletree at each end is a loop-1O connected with each of which is a swingletree l1.

With a view of maintaining the swingletree above the doubletree, for the purposes hereinabove mentioned, 1 preferably make use of a yield-able arm 12, which may be constructed from any suitable material, preferably-from resilient wire and formed adjacent one end to provide a resilient coil '13. The arm is carried by the doubletree,

and may be secured directly thereto, or in any other suitable manner, so that the hooklike extremity 14 thereof willbe disposed immediately above the swingletree. Se; cured to the swingletree 11 at an appro priate point, is a Wire element formed with ment. The link is designed to permit of a certain amount of play between the swingletree 11 and the arm 12 when the .swingle- A link 17 provides a tree is under draft tension, while the yield ability of the arm 12- also provides for movement of the swingletree with respect to the doubletree to compensate for the change in the direction of draft when the swingletree is under draft tension. Manifestly with the swingletree supported above the doubletree, or other support, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the swingletree is not permitted to swing loosely against the hind legs of the animal, as is. frequently the case with the present day manner of mounting the swingletrees, while in addition to this fact the swingletreesare supported in a position to permit the animal to be hitched closer to the wagon, and the duty of hitching and unhitching of the animal can be more conveniently and easily performed.

As hereinabove stated the yieldable arm may be connected with the doubletree in any suitable manner, but by p eference use is made of socket members o1 the type illus trated in Fig. 2. These members are made in pairs for the right and left hand end of the doubletree, each embodying-a substantially L-shaped attachingzplate, the branches 18 and 19 of which are disposed at an angle as shown, so that the respectivebranches can properly engage the underside and rear edge of the doubletree, in the manner to dispose ing elements may pass into the doubletree for securing the plate thereto. The socket 20, is adapted to receive the short extremity of the arm 12 to support the latter, while this extremity of the arm is offset as at 22. The offset portion is adapted to enter a transverse slot 23 in the socket member adjacent the lower edge thereof, when the arm and socket are operatively associated, with a view of preventing the arm from working upwardly, and becoming casually disengaged from the socket. lhe proportion of the socket and short extremity of the arm attached to the doubletree.

12 is such, that when these parts are associated the coil 13 will be spaced a slight distance above the doubletree, thus providing a clearance space for any clevis that may be The slot 23 is elongatedto permit the arm to turn for a limited distance, should the team seesaw as is frequently the case. The invention is not only simple in construction, and very .m'eritorious for the purpose intended, but it can be readily and easily applied to a doubletree or other support, in connection With a swingletree, without changing the construction of either.

' While it is believed that from the fore.- going description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that What is herein shown and described constitutes the preferred embodiment of the invention, to which I do not limit myself, and that such changes in the construction, combina tion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is I 1. A swingletree connection comprising in combination with a support, a socket member secured to the latter and having a transverse slot adjacent one end, a resilient arm having one extremity fitted Within the socket, said extremity of the arm being length of said arm and positioned above the doubletree, and said arm being mounted upon the doubletree for partial rotation in opposite directions.

3. A swingletree connection comprising in combination with a doubletree, a socket, means for attaching the socket to said support whereby the latter will be disposed vertically adjacent one edge thereof, a resilient arm having one extremity fitted in the socket and its opposite extremity connected with the swingletree for holding the latter spaced above said support, and a resilient .coil formed in the arm and disposed above said support.

4c- Asswingletree connection comprising in combination with a doubletree, a socket disposed in a vertical plane at the rear of the doubletree, angularly disposed attaching plates forming part of the socket and adapted to be secured to the bottom and one longitudinal edge of the doubletree, a resilient arm having one extremity fitted Within the socket and having its oposite extremity projecting forwardlyv in advance of said support, the latter mentioned extremity of said arm suspending the swingletree therefrom in a position above the doubletree.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLARENCE A. BIRD. 

